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Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

Originally Posted by Anarion

I agree with you, Balmas, that restructuring it that way would probably be helpful to the story. I think that the biggest change needed would be in writing style and focus. The story would be most powerful as a psychological exploration. The perspective could be from either Pinkie or Rainbow, but it would need to get into much more thoughtful descriptions, to have the reader begin to understand what was happening not as a shocking reveal, but as a careful build-up that something was wrong. Deeply and utterly wrong. And then to analyze why and how that came into being.

Originally Posted by Deadly

That, and what Anarion says, all good points.

Spoiler, for Cupcakes

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I believe I had a sort of idea of my own about what Cupcakes was about before I actually read it, based on the artwork I'd seen. I imagined that Pinkie took the wings, horns, cutie marks and maybe even blood and flesh from her victims, to become them, to wear their skin, to eat their flesh and ultimately to become her friends. Maybe to fulfill some twisted sense of loneliness and abandonment.

I saw this picture of Pinkie watching Dash through the window, and I sort of imagine the story could be like that ... Pinkie watching Dash, dreaming, spending all her time obsessing over her, building up to that final moment and maybe then it doesn't live up to the dream, so in her despair and torment Pinkie seeks a new victim to complete her. And thus the cycle continues from victim to victim, her desire and anticipation growing with each, and the disappointment and despair with it.

It's a rough starting point and I never thought much more about it, although I do have another story planned with a vaguely similar premise.

But yeah, spread it out more, delve deeper into the psychology, the reasons, the dreams and motivations. Make Pinkie out to be tormented by her dreams and desires, put the reader in her horseshoes, give a taste of the madness.

Just watching her cut Dash up isn't really scary, it's just dumb, what makes it scary is getting that look inside her mind.

So ... what you both said already

If you ever want to get a truly disturbing glance into the Pinkamena mindset, consider reading The Cupcake Chronicles. The relevant part is chapters 13 through 16, "The Journal of the Cupcake Killer." Be warned, it's extremely gory and very disturbing. The fic as a whole, though, is one of the things that really drew me into the fandom. Not the best, but certainly among the good fics of the fandom. (Tags: Gore, trauma, alt. universe, Sad, recovery, Appledash)

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett

People don't *live* on the Disc anymore than, in less hand-crafted parts of the multiverse, they live on balls. Oh, planets may be the place where their body eats its tea, but they *live* elsewhere, in worlds of their own which orbit very handily around the center of their heads. ~Terry Pratchett again

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

If you ever want to get a truly disturbing glance into the Pinkamena mindset, consider reading The Cupcake Chronicles. The relevant part is chapters 13 through 16, "The Journal of the Cupcake Killer." Be warned, it's extremely gory and very disturbing. The fic as a whole, though, is one of the things that really drew me into the fandom. Not the best, but certainly among the good fics of the fandom. (Tags: Gore, trauma, alt. universe, Sad, recovery, Appledash)

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

As for pony swears, "By Fimbulwinters frosty feet!" should be common in any cold-based area.

Originally Posted by Alabenson

My Little Roleplay: This Will Not Likely End Well

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*a small portal opens and a cube is tossed through, which projects a hologram of Professor Boffinspark*
Pardon me, miss, but your current condition is the result of an experiment that your father was helping me with. You see, those cupcakes you helped yourself to were laced with a retrovirus that transformed you into your current state.
On that note, I'd like to know how you're feeling right now. Are you experiencing any unusual thoughts or feelings? In particular, would you describe yourself as feeling "greater and more powerful than the dawn"?

"Greater and more powerful than the dawn"?It's a phrase that keeps coming up during interviews with subjects that have hormonal imbalances.

My Little Roleplay: He Draws Little Seaside Towns, Too.

Spoiler

Show

Great, so Silent is attempting to find a way to get into his original body, Nightcore just wants to rule over something, and your just hanging on for giggles?

Yeah, thats pretty much it. Great tea, by the way.

Thank you. Oh,and Charnel?

A little sociopath. Between the undead ichor in her veins, the fire elemental, no offence, and what seems to be my folk in her little body, no wonder she's a hug-obsessed mess.

Ahem.
Sorry.

.......

So, Nightcore ran off screaming something about "A Night That Shall Last Forever", and I thought I had heard that before. Any ideas?

Tirek, actualy.

Whoa, realy?

Yeah, he's mellowed out a lot.

Huh?

Tartarus's gates were blasted open, sweetie. I think he got a day-job somewhere. He probably owns a little garden shop or somesuch now.

Wow, good for him. Always like to see a stal.....entity get back on all four legs and take his life back.

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

Originally Posted by Anarion

Hey ponythread. So I had the most random dream, featuring Bleakbane. I was walking through some place like an industrial complex or something, and randomly I walked by this security guard station and Bleakbane was inside beating up a guy using the helmet of a space suit. The why's and wherefores are totally unknown to me, but it was amusing.

That's freaking hilarious!

And oddly appropriate...

Army Of The Red Spear - enlivening dreams since... um... approximately 700BC or something.

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

There is still hope for me; I've yet to achieve this level of fanaticism.

Originally Posted by Deadly

Thanks.

So many pony fics out there to read.

Anytime. *looks at the stack of "Read Later" stories in Fimfiction* Yep, plenty of pony for everyone.

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett

People don't *live* on the Disc anymore than, in less hand-crafted parts of the multiverse, they live on balls. Oh, planets may be the place where their body eats its tea, but they *live* elsewhere, in worlds of their own which orbit very handily around the center of their heads. ~Terry Pratchett again

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

Originally Posted by Lix Lorn

Love the picture. Am willing to go rambo on anyone who actually follows the idealogy.

HER HOLINESS'S INQUISITION HAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENTITY KNOWN FAMILIARLY AS {{EXPUNGED}} IS A WARP ENTITY ALLIED OR SUBSERVIENT TO THE RUINOUS POWERS EXPRESSING THE HERETICAL CONCEPT KNOWN AS SHIPPING.

ALL PERSONS OR ORGANIZATION EXPRESSING CONNECTION TO {{EXPUNGED}} ARE TO BE REPORTED TO LOCAL IMPERIAL AUTHORITIES. INFORMATION ON IDENTIFYING SIGNS OF THIS HERESY MAY BE OBTAINED THROUGH THE ARBITES OR APPROVED INQUISTORIAL REPRESENTATIVES.

THIS MESSAGE SHOULD BE SANITIZED APPROPRIATELY BEFORE PUBLIC RELEASE TO THOSE NOT LACKING PROPER AUTHORIZATION.

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

Originally Posted by Soras Teva Gee

HER HOLINESS'S INQUISITION HAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENTITY KNOWN FAMILIARLY AS {{EXPUNGED}} IS A WARP ENTITY ALLIED OR SUBSERVIENT TO THE RUINOUS POWERS EXPRESSING THE HERETICAL CONCEPT KNOWN AS SHIPPING.

ALL PERSONS OR ORGANIZATION EXPRESSING CONNECTION TO {{EXPUNGED}} ARE TO BE REPORTED TO LOCAL IMPERIAL AUTHORITIES. INFORMATION ON IDENTIFYING SIGNS OF THIS HERESY MAY BE OBTAINED THROUGH THE ARBITES OR APPROVED INQUISTORIAL REPRESENTATIVES.

THIS MESSAGE SHOULD BE SANITIZED APPROPRIATELY BEFORE PUBLIC RELEASE TO THOSE NOT LACKING PROPER AUTHORIZATION.

Oh, phew, that's a relief. I was worried we'd get in trouble for associating with Lix Lorn, instead of some crazy pony named {{EXPUNGED}}. Don't worry everypony, it's fine, continue shipping.

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

Originally Posted by Soras Teva Gee

HER HOLINESS'S INQUISITION HAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENTITY KNOWN FAMILIARLY AS {{EXPUNGED}} IS A WARP ENTITY ALLIED OR SUBSERVIENT TO THE RUINOUS POWERS EXPRESSING THE HERETICAL CONCEPT KNOWN AS SHIPPING.

ALL PERSONS OR ORGANIZATION EXPRESSING CONNECTION TO {{EXPUNGED}} ARE TO BE REPORTED TO LOCAL IMPERIAL AUTHORITIES. INFORMATION ON IDENTIFYING SIGNS OF THIS HERESY MAY BE OBTAINED THROUGH THE ARBITES OR APPROVED INQUISTORIAL REPRESENTATIVES.

THIS MESSAGE SHOULD BE SANITIZED APPROPRIATELY BEFORE PUBLIC RELEASE TO THOSE NOT LACKING PROPER AUTHORIZATION.

Please stop. If I respond to this IC it'll look like godmodding, since I can and would just blow up the Ecclesiarchy.

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

Do you have AotrS written up in your wargames? And how well do they hold up against the Jackyons and Cybertanks in ground and space?

Actually how do the Jackyons do in space period? You told us about some of their land battles but I don't think we've gotten any mention of a space battle yet.

Of course!

I can only answer the latter, currently. My Aotrs ground force currently exists in 28mm form, and the Jalyrkieons and Cybertanks are both in 144. However, the Aotrs 144 is next on my to do list (indeed, I have already started, with Hunter Drones and the Gloombat and Fallen Soul), as after the Strayvians and Jalyrkieons, I am confident that I can do the infantry. (And, of course, this also means I can do much more accurate versions of the vehicles - given I'm CADing them up, as opposed to the stand-ins I currently use (from a variety of sources).)

As to the space battles then: The Aotrs starfleet has - like the real thing - consistently won every game it has ever been in, in all sets of starship rules it's been used in. The last battle I played with them, was, in fact, against the Jalyrkieons, and it was a complete curb-stomp (unfortunately, as it doesn't make for a very interesting game).

Ironically, the Jalyrkieons had themselves until then been on a winning streak, beating the SSA on a couple of occasions (who had themselves been on a winning streak before that...!)

With the Cybertanks, it really varies. Actually, doing a quick check, they've won consistently a third of their battles in Accelerate & Attack, which is about right, given their tactics... (Though they have probably fought the most, having been in, by a rough count, about 30% of all the games we've played.)

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

Originally Posted by Lix Lorn

Do not tell me who to play on account of a joke that you made.

I stand by it.

You stepped out of the game first to express that any response your character could give was godmodding ergo would be inherently unfair so the game was over. That's a de facto way of telling me how to play.

Since you stepped out I did as well with my honest opinion. Don't like that opinion okay, but it remains my honest opinion. I also don't waffle around with my wording nor can I tell you anything since I have less ability to effect you then even in real life. Its a blunt and honest assessment of a problem.

I only "roleplay" in ponythread fairly minimally for reasons I could get on quite an extended rant on but the short version is that its for much of what you expressed right there.

However despite the massive disagreements I have with the roleplay I still manage to enjoy the sort of pseudo-characters we all run and why I quietly try to never acknowledge real life, humans, or that I'm really just a dude at a keyboard pretending he's a Nanoha-styled magic user that is also a pony.

Now I won't continue this so everyone else can get back to the pony nonsense. I'll come back tomorrow.

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

A question occurs to me regarding the Army of the Red Spear's record in the system. Why exactly is it that they have such a good record? Is it just a case of good luck and few games, or is it a game-balance issue?

Of course, if it was a game balance issue that's only a problem if that kind of balance is a priority of the game system, rather than say merely modelling the reality of the situation.

Lix - The whole Godmodding thing seems to be quite the psychological triggery thing. That's quite a strong reaction there considering it was in response to an allegation someone might have gone on to make.

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

Originally Posted by Lix Lorn

Are there rules for fielding Commodore Bleakbane and/or Commander Hopereaver?
Special characters are BEST units.

Not specifically, no. (Of course, I'm navy, not army.) Though I have stats for Undead commanders, which includes my army contemporaries. Though, of course, Manouver Group is not really a weapons factor game (it's more of a tactics simulator, and one that's only interested in modelling effects at that), so not strictly special rules in the way you would get characters in 40K or Warmachine or something, no. (And again, at 12mm, MG's more suited to vehicle games than infantry, which tends to be the better purview of 28mm. One day, when 3D printing gets cheap enough to do 25/28mm...)

Tempted to do a figure suited for me at 144 when the times comes, of course, though whether I will or not entirely depends on how much doing 144 infantry makes my skull leak.

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes

Lix - The whole Godmodding thing seems to be quite the psychological triggery thing. That's quite a strong reaction there considering it was in response to an allegation someone might have gone on to make.

My persona is powerful enough to be mistaken for a goddess. I get by with it by not engaging in fights. Thus I don't like it when people espouse philosophies that offend her/me enough that I CANNOT stand aside.

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes

A question occurs to me regarding the Army of the Red Spear's record in the system. Why exactly is it that they have such a good record? Is it just a case of good luck and few games, or is it a game-balance issue?

Of course, if it was a game balance issue that's only a problem if that kind of balance is a priority of the game system, rather than say merely modelling the reality of the situation.

Not too many games played (largely because of the aforementioned tendancy to win); largely, it's just a combination of being extremely well optimised for the tactics used (due to our high-tech, long range missiles and Gate drive), and, in the rules, being high tech enough to be extremely dangerous without being phenominally costly, like say, the Shardan.

(Again, it should be noted that AccAtt doesn't really have "special rules" per se for fleets, just a series of common weapon systems of varying tech levels, though only some of which a given race's tech tree will have access to. (The Aotrs is one of the very few races that has non-typical technology1; one unique weapon system in the Drain Cannons, but they're only mounted on one Midnight-D Dreadnought which doesn't come out much, and it's even then not a weapon that does the damage.))

1In the rules, that is, which don't distinguish meanignfully between lazers, partical lasers, coldbeams or disruptors, say, only only broadly between different types of FTL (considering only the relative speed and function (e.g. teleport (us, technically, the SSA warp-drive or the Rift Collective), portal (standard hyperdrive) or "straight-line" (e.g. the Galactic Empire).)

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

Originally Posted by Lix Lorn

My persona is powerful enough to be mistaken for a goddess. I get by with it by not engaging in fights. Thus I don't like it when people espouse philosophies that offend her/me enough that I CANNOT stand aside.

Sex and love are purest evil.

...

What? He said it *point*

Last edited by HalfTangible; 2012-09-26 at 05:55 PM.

Myers/Briggs: INTP

Originally Posted by Rater202

"..And once I've killed you and crushed your heroine smuggling operations, I'm going to steal all of your filthy drug money, and use it to fund an Orphanage!! MUhahahahahahahaha!"

Wordpress removed because of controversial topics - I don't wanna fight with anyone on the board.

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

Originally Posted by Lix Lorn

My persona is powerful enough to be mistaken for a goddess. I get by with it by not engaging in fights. Thus I don't like it when people espouse philosophies that offend her/me enough that I CANNOT stand aside.

Not taking action doesn't change the power level of a character or persona. What I'm saying, I think, is that if someone has a problem with characters of that kind of power then self restraint won't change their opinion of the situation. Conversely, if someone doesn't have a problem with a character that could do such a thing, I wouldn't imagine that taking action would negatively change their opinion. The nature of the action itself may be a relevant concern, of course, but that's another matter altogether. "I liquify all of the Kittens. All of them!"
The character itself is not fundementally changed by the presence or absence of action.

Originally Posted by Aotrs Commander

Not too many games played (largely because of the aforementioned tendancy to win); largely, it's just a combination of being extremely well optimised for the tactics used (due to our high-tech, long range missiles and Gate drive), and, in the rules, being high tech enough to be extremely dangerous without being phenominally costly, like say, the Shardan.

(Again, it should be noted that AccAtt doesn't really have "special rules" per se for fleets, just a series of common weapon systems of varying tech levels, though only some of which a given race's tech tree will have access to. (The Aotrs is one of the very few races that has non-typical technology1; one unique weapon system in the Drain Cannons, but they're only mounted on one Midnight-D Dreadnought which doesn't come out much, and it's even then not a weapon that does the damage.))

1In the rules, that is, which don't distinguish meanignfully between lazers, partical lasers, coldbeams or disruptors, say, only only broadly between different types of FTL (considering only the relative speed and function (e.g. teleport (us, technically, the SSA warp-drive or the Rift Collective), portal (standard hyperdrive) or "straight-line" (e.g. the Galactic Empire).)

Sounds like it could be worth using the Aotrs more often. If it's a statistical fluke, then that should become obvious in time and that would mean you'd be more likely to be able to use them without feeling like it risks making the game less fun or something. If it's not a statistical fluke, then points costs or something could be tweaked to balance them out a little and once again this could mean they get used more (which is surely a good thing).

Or is it the case that the cost is determined by what the units/fleet/etc actually has? So it's literally a quirk of the seperately chosen items that make up an Aotrs ship from a menu of universally fixed cost choices?

As for Infantry Modelling, two thoughts;
When engaging in planetside combat, you would naturally gravitate to an infantry role then? Secondly, if all else fails you could always have your own custom command vehicle designed if CADing yourself on foot turns out to be too infuriatingly fiddly.

Yes, now that the retrovirus has been perfected, it needs to be tested on a large, diverse population to ensure that soci-URK!

*telekinetically throttling Boffinspark* I SWEAR, IF YOU TRY RELEASING THAT STUFF IN CANTERLOT AGAIN...

*gasp*...no...not *urk*...Canterlot...*is dropped to the ground* Of course I wouldn't perform this test in Canterlot.

Good, for a second there I thought...

Canterlot is simply doesn't have the percentage populations of pegasui and earth ponies that this test requires. And besides, its far too large to make observation of the test results feasible. No, the community my ninjas will release the retrovirus in needs to be small enough that I can ensure near-total coverage, needs to have a good mix of pegasui, unicorns, and earth ponies, and needs to have a population well accustomed to unsual occurences.

Wait, you're not seriously saying...

Once Sugarcube Corner's flour and sugar stores have been dosed with retrovirus spores, it will only be a matter of time befor-URK!

Re: My Little Pony LIV:E Long and Pony!

Originally Posted by Lix Lorn

My persona is powerful enough to be mistaken for a goddess. I get by with it by not engaging in fights. Thus I don't like it when people espouse philosophies that offend her/me enough that I CANNOT stand aside.

Sounds like maybe a bit of righteous fire every once in a while wouldn't be the worst thing. I'm sure you could have incinerated everything around Soras without permanently killing him to make a point.

Oh and I'm not there anymore anyway. *teleports away*

Originally Posted by Aotrs Commander

Not too many games played (largely because of the aforementioned tendancy to win); largely, it's just a combination of being extremely well optimised for the tactics used (due to our high-tech, long range missiles and Gate drive), and, in the rules, being high tech enough to be extremely dangerous without being phenominally costly, like say, the Shardan.

(Again, it should be noted that AccAtt doesn't really have "special rules" per se for fleets, just a series of common weapon systems of varying tech levels, though only some of which a given race's tech tree will have access to. (The Aotrs is one of the very few races that has non-typical technology1; one unique weapon system in the Drain Cannons, but they're only mounted on one Midnight-D Dreadnought which doesn't come out much, and it's even then not a weapon that does the damage.))

1In the rules, that is, which don't distinguish meanignfully between lazers, partical lasers, coldbeams or disruptors, say, only only broadly between different types of FTL (considering only the relative speed and function (e.g. teleport (us, technically, the SSA warp-drive or the Rift Collective), portal (standard hyperdrive) or "straight-line" (e.g. the Galactic Empire).)

Sounds like the issue, if there is an issue, is that every unit in the Aotrs spacefleet is, for its cost, extremely good at its role. That kind of army is nearly impossible to beat save by a fluke of extreme luck on one side or another. I suppose if I were to try it, it would be by concealing as much information about my own forces as possible. After all, one can't deploy the right tools for the job if one does not know the job first.